A Rat Knows best where A Rat's Nest Is
by Mademoiselle Wordsmith
Summary: London was being plagued by more than just rats nowadays. Indeed it was full to the brim with thugs and thieves and killers of all sorts. When the orphan Ciel is kidnapped he is forced to join a band of thieves in plaguing London through murders and robberies. Sebastian is the King of Thieves, and stealing Ciel's body proves to be easy, his heart would be a more challenging take...


**London was being plagued by more than just rats nowadays. Indeed it was full to the brim with thugs and thieves and killers of all sorts. When the orphan Ciel is kidnapped he is forced to join a band of thieves in plaguing London through murders and robberies. Sebastian is the King of Thieves, and stealing Ciel's body proves to be easy, his heart would be a more challenging take...**

* * *

**A Rat Knows best where A Rat's Nest Is**

**By: Mademoiselle Wordsmith**

* * *

London was being plagued by more than just rats nowadays. Indeed it was full to the brim with thugs and thieves and killers of all sorts. Late at night down the damp streets of London you could hear the carriage wheels clack, the bells at the top of shop doors ringing for the last time as people closed up shop for the day. Yes, it was quiet, peaceful, dark. It was at this time of night that the rats would come out to play.

It was certainly not the time of night for a young boy to be wandering the back alleys alone. But it couldn't be helped. He was hungry… He hadn't eaten in days, and he had been wearing the same outfit since… Well… it had been awhile, let's just say that…

He stopped in a bakers window to look at rolls. They looked delicious. Too bad the shop was closed. He might have been able to do some work in exchange for something to eat. He made a mental note to return in the morning.

Sighing, feeling his stomach rumbling angrily he turned to leave thinking he would came out under a bridge somewhere until then. He walked out into the street not looking where he was going and a carriage horse reared in surprise causing the boy to fall back and the driver to swerve just barely missing him.

"You stupid brat! Stay out of the streets!" the blonde man snapped. He was seated at the top steering the carriage.

The door of the carriage opened and a man stepped down, "What is going on here Bard?"

"This boy just ran out in front of the carriage," Bard snapped taking a long drag on the cigarette in his mouth. Ciel turned glaring up at the man. He was tall, slender, in the dress of a middle class citizen, he had brownish red eyes and wore glasses. A teacher? Perhaps? The man frowned walking over to him.

"Are you alright?" he asked grabbing the boy's wrist he pulled him to his feet.

"My name is Sebastian Michaelis, what's yours?"

"Ciel," he answered.

"Ciel what?" he urged. It was rude not to give a whole answer when asked a question.

"Just Ciel," he answered pulling his hand away quickly. "Sorry."

With that he turned only to have his arm grabbed again. "Come with me… You could be hurt after all. I should have the hospital check you over."

"I'm fine," Ciel snapped.

"Nonsense…" Sebastian said softly. Half pulling, half dragging he brought Ciel to the carriage and had him go inside.

"Wait, I said no!" Ciel snapped even as he was shoved into his seat and Sebastian waved to the driver to continue on. The carriage began to roll on, the horse hooves providing ambiance for their ride. The man got out what seemed to be a travel tea set and he poured two cups of tea. Ciel did enjoy the scent.

"Well, you are lucky I found you, you don't know what sorts are running about. Someone could have snatched you up just like that," he snapped his finger for emphasis and Ciel frowned.

"So, where do you live?" Sebastian asked. He handed one of the cups to Ciel who took it frowning.

"I don't live anywhere, the bank came and took our house," Ciel explained.

"I see," Sebastian said eyeing the boy. He had a sense of fragility like someone who hadn't eaten in a while, not to mention, he smelled terrible, when was the last time he had had a bath? "Drink up Ciel, you look hungry. The tea will help."

Frowning he couldn't deny he was hungry. Tea wasn't exactly a cure for that. But something in his stomach was better than nothing. He sipped it and looked out the window noticing they weren't heading in the direction they were supposed to. He turned to the stranger, "Where are we going?"

"The hospital, I told you," Sebastian responded.

"No we're not. The hospital is in the opposite direction…" Ciel pointed out making the man smile.

"So it is…"

The boy suddenly began to look frightened, he regretted drinking the tea, "Stop the carriage."

"No, I don't think I will," Sebastian said. "I seem to have picked up a stray kitten, and I'm taking you home."

"Kitten?!" Ciel snapped. "I'm a person!"

Sebastian smiled, "Come now. I will take you home, give you a bath, wrap you up in a nice warm towel and feed you some warm milk. How does that sound?"

"I'm not a cat!" Ciel snapped and then it hit him. His vision seemed to blur and a sense of vertigo overtook him. Dropping the teacup he reached for curtain on the carriage window and grabbed the edge of his seat with his hand. He closed his eyes in an effort to make the spinning stop.

"You are a cat Ciel," Sebastian said softly. "I take in lots of little stray cats, and I give each of them a home and a beautiful collar to wear…"

He removed from his person a leather collar which he reached out to place around his neck.

Ciel pushed his hand away but he wasn't fast enough for the next second he felt it tighten around his throat. "Stop what are you doing!" Ciel snapped dizzily he reached up in an attempt to pull it off only Sebastian grabbed his hands forcing them to his side.

"Now now, kittens should not remove their collars," Sebastian said smiling. "You must have some talent that could be of use to me, and I am going to find it…"

Ciel felt his eyes growing heavy and he fell back against the cushion of the seat. "No… I don't… I…"

"Sleep well," Sebastian said smiling as Ciel lost consciousness…

* * *

He gasped awake. He was in a cold room on a cot. It was damp, like a basement. He looked down and discovered two things. One, he was wearing a new outfit, a grey one with black leather boots that came to his knee, a matching grey jacket that fell to his calves, loop button adornments as well. He felt his hair. It was wet. Someone had bathed him, on a table to his right was (as Sebastian had said) a glass of warm milk…

Furious he sat up and the clinking of chains met his ears. He looked down seeing a chain attached to a metal notch on the wall which led up to the collar around his neck. Slightly panicked he reached up to remove it only to find a thick metal pad lock holding it closed. _Was he serious_…

He got to his feet pulling on the chain furiously. It would not break. "Damn it!" he snapped.

A few seconds later the door opened and blonde haired boy a bit older than himself hurried in. "You're awake I see!"

"Let me go!" Ciel snapped.

"Hhmm…" the boy wore a grey outfit too. Their shoes matched but this guy wore grey thigh high stockings, shorts (that were far too short in his opinion), a similar jacked but his was embellished with fur trim. "I don't have the key. I was just told to make sure you were happy in here. Are you happy?"

"NO!" Ciel snapped. What a question! Honestly!

"Oh… well I tried," he said shrugging and he turned to leave.

"Wait," Ciel said. "Come here… what's your name…"

The boy turned around happily and sat at the edge of his cot. "My name is Alois. What's yours?"

"Ciel…"

"Well Ciel, I hope we become good friends…" Alois said grinning.

He was close enough… In a quick motion he used the chain he was bound by and threw it around Alois' neck wrapping it tightly he pushed him down on the bed. "Now you give me the key or—"

Alois coughed prying at Ciel's hands that refused to release the chain, "I told… *gag* I don't have… Claude! Claude!"

A moment later Ciel was pushed back by a man who had entered and the chain was removed from Alois' neck leaving him gasping at the edge of the bed. Furiously Ciel clutched his head where he had hit the stone wall.

The man who had entered was frowning down at him as Alois got to his feet, "I take it back, I hope Sebastian kills the little shit!"

"You hope I kill who now?" Sebastian asked as he entered looking rather bored. "Ah, he's awake…"

"And he tried to kill me!" Alois pointed out still rubbing his sore throat.

"Well you shouldn't have gotten so close to him then hmm?" Sebastian suggested before turning to the Ciel.

"Ciel, welcome to my Palace," Sebastian said smiling. "Me and my friends here are thieves and I would like you to help us…"

"Why should I?!" Ciel snapped.

"Well, because it is a much more exciting offer than just roaming around the streets searching and begging for your next meal, and there is of course the fact that you're here and now that you have seen our little den I will have to kill you if you refuse and I would so hate to harm a face like this," he said placing a hand on the side of Ciel's face which he pushed away furiously.

"I will give you a day to think about it," Sebastian said smiling. He pulled out his pocket watch glancing at it. "It's three in the morning, Saturday. I shall return at three in the morning Sunday for your answer…"

With that he turned with the other two to leave. Just as he reached the door the cup of warm milk that Ciel had was thrown at the wall by Sebastian's head missing him by an inch. Sebastian turned. "You'll regret that later…"

With that he shut the door locking it behind him.

"Seriously, your Highness," Claude said softly as they walked back up the stairs revealing a large spacious room set up somewhat like a basement bar. "You have to stop picking up random people off the streets."

"Why? That's how I picked up all of you," Sebastian pointed out as they ascended a second staircase walking through a secret passage in a back office. It was behind a bookshelf and when Alois and Claude were through he closed it locking the bookshelf as well so it would not slide open.

"One of these days you're going to pick up the wrong sort," Claude snapped.

"Well, then one of these days, I'll be worried. Until then, let's prepare to open shop shall we?" Sebastian said. He walked over to a locker changing his clothes so it resembled that of an average middle class citizen. Claude and Alois did the same. Their grey outfits being stuffed in a box by the bookshelf which was also locked.

Ascending yet another staircase they arrived at an inn, a breakfast area on the main floor where people could eat and drink, and upstairs there were rooms to let. No one would have assumed that this little run down inn was the centered for a band of heartless thieves, and Sebastian was the _King of Thieves_.

* * *

**Inspired from one of my Kuro-Disney story I decided to make this… I hope you all enjoy…**


End file.
